Metallic railway-tie.



L. P. FRIESTEDT.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1907.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MET ALLIC RAILWAY-'1 IE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

Application filed. March 30, 1907. Serial No. 365,514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER P. FRIE- STEDT, citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway- Ties,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic railway ties to be used as asubstitute for the ordinary wood cross tie; and has for its object toprovide a tie that will embody all of the re quirements necessary in adevice of this character, as will be hereinafter set forth in detail.

The growing scarcity of timber suitable for ties makes it apparent thata practical substitute must be provided.

A further object, therefore, is not only to provide a substitute as tomaterial, but also one that will embody all the advantages of the woodtie with none of its disadvantages.

In the drawing, Figure 1. is a longitudinal section of a metal tieembodying the improved features, the track-rail being shown in place.Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view inperspective; and Fig. 4 is a modification.

The tie is ordinarily composed of a metalbeam rolled or otherwise madeinto the desired integral form.

A may represent the integral structure as a whole, which consists of theflat top-part 5 and the double angle side flanges or wings 6 and 7 Thetop-part of the tie or sleeper forms the seating surface on which thetrackrails 8 rest. The angular sides anchor the tie in the earth orother material with which the road is ballasted.

The flanges 6 form the upper part of the double angle sides and extendoutward and downward in a diagonal plane to the junction 9 with theflanges 7, which extend inward and downward in a diagonal planecorresponding to the angle at which the flanges 6 are disposed, that is,approximately forty live degrees. This construc tion provides aninverted channel or hollow tie, the flanged sides forming a double archsupport with a rigid bracing effect, as best shown in Fig. 2.

The tie is split inward from its respective ends on each side as at 10.This feature provides for the ends 1 1 of the top-part being bentdownward at any desired angle (Figs. 1

" and 2) in partially closing the ends of the tie ordinarily the usualballast will be suiiicient Y for all practical purposes as the tie isopen on the under side.

The top-part is provided (Fig. 3) with a number of apertures 12 for theinsertion of the rail spikes 13 in the operation of securing the trackrails to the ties. The initial apertures are somewhat less in lengththanthe greatest diameter of the spike so that the point end of thespike will just enter and be held in position to be driven, as bestshown in Fig. 1. The slits 14 are cut through the top-part and extendlongitudinally on two sides of the apertures 12 and open thereinto.These slits are of a greater length than the side dimensions of theapertures and provide tongues 15 which are free to bend downward fromthe pressure of the spikes when driven into place.

The rail fastening spikes 13 are provided with corrugations 16 on twoopposite sides, as shown in Fig. ,1. When the spikes are driven in theoperation of securing the rails in place, the free ends of the tongues15 are bent downward by contact with the corrugated sides and remain inengagement therewith. By this means the spikes are il'irinly locked. inplace against working out from any of the usual causes. The spikes maybe readily removed by turning them around far enough to disengage theheads 17 from the flanged-base 18 of the track rails and bring thesmooth sides of the spikes in line with the tongues 15 and free the samefrom their locking engagement when they can be easily slipped out. Thespikes are held just as firmly in place as though driven into wood andare more easily drawn out Without bending the same. This form ofconstruction affords a double arched base or truss on the respectivesides of the compound type and which will successfully resist the heavyload. and compression strains to which cross-ties are subjected. A tieof this form will be sufficiently rigid for all practical purposes andat the same time yielding just enough to conform to all changingconditions. It can be economically rolled from a bar or billet in anylen th that is practical and then cut up into tie lengths.

Fig. 4 is a modification in that it presents Y part of which extendsdownward and outward in a diagonal plane and another part downward andinward in a corresponding plane, leaving the under side of the tie open.

2. A railway tie of the class described, having apertures formed in thetop thereof and slits extending along two sides of said apertures andforming tongues in line with said slits, said tongues being adapted tobe depressed in looking a fastening object.

3. A railway-tie having apertures formed in the top side thereof andtongues on opposite sides of said apertures, whereby when the railfastening spikes are inserted said tongues are depressed and the spikeslocked in place.

4. In a railway-tie comprising an integral structure and havingapertures formed in the top thereof with slits extending backward fromopposite sides of said apertures providing tongue parts free at one end,and spikes serrated on two sides and adapted to depress the free end ofsaid tongues in the operation of securing track-rails and locking" thespikes against accidental displacement.

5. An integral metal railway tie compris ing a top portion and sideportions which ex= tend "outwardly at an angle, and then inwardly at anangle, said tie being open at the bottom and the opposite ends of thetop of the tie being downturned. I

6. A metallic railway tie having an inte- 'g'ral spring tongue formed inits upper surface in combination with a spike having a serrated faceadapted to be engaged by said integral spring tongue, and an integralmember carried by the tie and bearing against the opposite face of saidspike.

7. A metallic railway tie, having a pair of integral spring tonguesstruck therefrom and located in the upper face thereof, in combinationwith a spike having two of its sides serrated to be engaged by saidspring tongues, the remaining faces of saidspike being smooth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUTHER P. FRIESTEDI.

Witnesses:

L. B. COUPLAND, G. E. CHURCH.

